“If you’re not on the list, you’re not coming in,” is the idea behind the three blagclubs. However, as long as you book in advance, you’ll find yourself in this small, but comfortable club in the heart of Notting Hill.

The Venue
Situated within spitting distance of Notting Hill Gate tube, this club is still fairly hard to find, which is conducive to its exclusive feel. There is only an inconspicuous door on the street for those in the know. On entering, you have to scale extremely steep stairs (although late at night they provide people with assistance down the stairs). Once inside the blagclub, there is a spattering of places to sit and a small bar. The idea of the club is to be intimate, which is created by the area available as everyone amicably jostles for space. The decor in the club has an extremely subtle nod to the theme of Hindu gods (which isn’t as strange as it sounds on paper). The small amount of booth seating there is appears worn and slightly out of place. There are also low-level tables, which unofficially turn into dance floors as the night wears on.

The Atmosphere
Due to the fact that the club is often filled with members (although not exclusively as it's open to all), and people book in groups for special occasions, the atmosphere is friendly and everyone seems familiar with one another. Early in the night, people stand and sit, catching up over wines and strong cocktails. The feel is sophisticated, but not pretentious. Most of the customers seem to be in their mid-twenties upwards, from fairly well off neighbourhoods in and around Notting Hill. The groups are on reserved tables, placed fairly close together so this lends itself to people mingling outside of the people they arrived with. Therefore, blagclub is a great place to meet people. Later, as the drinks flow and the music is cranked up, the fun really happens. There’s plenty of partying and dancing to be had.

The Music
A DJ plays their set in a booth by the bar, making access to the box and requests decent. The music is calm and funky in the early evening, but is cranked up later on. There is not set genre of music that the club caters to in particular.

The Drinks
Without a drinks menu, it is almost bewildering to order a drink at blagclub. However, the bar staff are incredibly friendly and more than happy to advise you on what is good. In addition, they know most cocktail recipes by heart, and serve them up strong! There’s also a good range of (bottled) beers, spirits, champagne and wines available.

The Last Word
Blagclub Notting Hill is small and slightly tired, but after a few strong cocktails it’s a great place to relax, meet new people and party the night away.